Electric switch.



No. 794,218.-- PATENTBD JULY 11, 1905.

W. B DOW. I

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION mm 17.9. 1905.

.NITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,218, dated July 11,1905.

Application filed January 9, 1905. Serial No. 240,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD E. Dow, a citizen of the United States,residing at Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Switches, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts.

My invention relates to that class of wallswitches adapted for use withvarious kinds of apparatus where it is desired to have a small neatconcealed switch capable of use with two sources of energy (a dynamo andbattery or two batteries) and a service-line, cutting out or in eitheror both, as may be desired.

The constructional details which constitute the full embodiment of myinvention will be pointed out in the course of the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichI have illustrated the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the switch in itssimpler form, said view showing the internal construction. Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is aview similar to Fig. 1, showing a further detail of constructionadapting the switch to further uses.

I have shown the mechanism of my switch as mounted in and carried by acup-shaped shell a, of vulcanite or other suitable insulating-base,provided with screw-holes a for securing the same to a wall,vehicle-body, or other position of use. Extending diametrically acrossthe bottom a of the shell a is a conductor-plate a provided at its innerend with a shouldered tube or socket a and at its outer end with acorrugated or roughened boss a I make the parts a a in one piece andmold the shell about the same, thereby anchoring the parts immovably, sothat they can withstand the pulling and wrenching of continuous roughusage. The end a has at its outer side a shoulder a and a raised centeror circular hub a for receiving the movable switch lever or arm a whichis secured by a washer a and screw a The inner swinging end a of saidswitch-lever a is bent flat against the conductor-plate a as clearlyshown in Fig. 3, and at its extreme free end has an outwardly-bentnotchlike corru ation a, fittin accuratelv over a h b v correspondingprojection a in the plate a for frictionally holding the parts in theintermediate or neutral position. At the opposite sides, arrangedangularly in the direction of normal sweep of the swinging switch-lever,are similar contact-plates a a having their ends a inturned or bentinwardly into cavities a", formed in the bottom a and their outer endsclamped firmly by nuts a, engaging threaded binding-posts a whoseshouldered ends a are anchored in the molded shell in the same manner asthe opposite ends of the conductorplate a By bending the inner ends a ofsaid contact-plates as shown a rounded corner is provided for readilyreceiving the switch-lever a as it is swung in one direction or in theother.

Opposite the inner end of the conductorplate a a contact-plate a isprovided, secured by a nut a and anchored binding-post a similar inconstruction to the post a, said plate a having its inner end outwardlybent and slightly rolled, as indicated at a to be engaged by the groovedend a of a removable plug a fitting the ferrule or socket a and providedwith an external button or handle a. Each binding-post is provided witha usual binding-nut a and the. switch-lever has a button or handle a Inthe form shown in' Fig. 1 the switch-lever a is shown as having the samewidth as the conductor-plate a so that when it is in the intermediateposition in alinement with said plate it is entirely out of contact withthe contactplates a a, and in Fig. 5 I have shown the switch-lever a asprovided at its inner end with a T-head or spring-bridge a so that whenin the intermediate position it bridges both of these contact-plates.

In use one battery or dynamo wire is connected to one binding-post a anda wire from another battery or source of energy is connected to theother binding-post a a servicewire being connected to the binding-posta.

"Thereupon the plug a is inserted as shown in the drawings. Then if itis desired to connect one battery into the circuit the switchlever isthrown to the position-shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 5. If it isdesired to connect the other source of energy, battery, or dynamo incircuit, the switch lever is thrown to the opposite position. If it isdesired to cut out both sources of energy, the switch-lever, Fig. 1, maybe thrown to its intermediate position or the plug may be removed, andif it is desired to connect in circuit both sources of energy theswitch-lever, Fig. 5, is thrown into its intermediate position. When itis desired to break the circuit, the plug (0 is removed. I prefer tomake said plug entirely removable, so that, if desired, it can be placedin the vest-pocket. This is of special value in connection withmotor-vehicles, for instance.

One of the advantages of my switch is its extreme compactness, strength,.and durability. The various parts are so formed and secured as to bepractically incapable of improperly shifting their positions. Each partalso has a broad firm bearing and is so shaped and constructed as not toget out of order, and not only are the parts rendered as nearlyindestructible as possible in construction and arrangement, but thereare no external joints,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. An electric switch, comprising a central conductor-plate having ashouldered socket portion at one end and a shouldered boss at the otherend, a base molded about said oppo-- site end portions, fixed contactsadjacent said plate at the opposite sides thereof, a switchlever pivotedto said boss to cooperate with said contacts, a longitudinally-movableplug said conductor-plate in engagement with said spring-contact.

3. An electric switch, comprising a cupshaped base of molded insulatingmaterial, three binding-posts approximately equidistant from each other,a contact-plate secured by each post, a conductor-plate extendingbetween two of said contact-plates in alinement with the third plate,the latter plate having an outturned spring end, and the other twocontact-plates having their adjacent ends inturned, a removable plug forconnecting said conductor-plate and spring-contact plate and a leverpivoted to said conductor-plate to swing into engagement with saidinturned contact-plates.

4. An electric switch, comprising a cupshaped base of molded insulatingmaterial, three binding-posts approximately equidistant from each other,a contact-plate secured by each post, a conductor-plate extendingbetween two of said contact-plates in alinement with'the third plate,the latter plate having an outturned spring end, and the other twocontact-plates having their adjacent ends inturned, a removable plug forconnecting said conductor-plate and spring-contact plate and a leverpivoted to said conductor-plate to swinginto engagement with saidinturned contact-plates, all of'said posts and said conductor-platebeing provided with shouldered inner ends molded into the material ofsaid base.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD E. DOW.

Witnesses:

SUSIE M. BURKE, OARLOT'IA NIX.

